Barrel-head



No. 609,793. Patented Aug. 30, |998.

J. D. COPPEBFIELD.

BARREL HEAD.

Applicatimmed sept. 4, 1591.)

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NITED STATES y PATENT QFFICFE.

JAMES D. COPPERFIELD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BARREL-HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.`609,793, dated August 30,:1898.

Application led September 4, 1897. Serial No. 650,576. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JAMES D. COPPERFIELD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Barrel-Heads, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improve- .ments in barrel-heads of that class employed in barrels for containing beer or other liquids, and has for its object to provide a barrel-head with a top or cover which may be readily removed from position and which when in place will form a tight seal or joint with the head proper and prevent the passage of liquider air and will withstand high pressure.

A further object of my invention. is to provide for the removal of the head as a whole when it isdesired to make repairs, as more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a barrel-head provided with a removable cap or cover in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view of the ring forming the head proper. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the cover-disk forming part of the removable cap or cover, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the sealing-disk.

In barrels for containing liquids, especially beer-barrels, it is found desirable to gain access to the interior of the barrel for washing purposes and at times when it becomes neces` sary to reline the inner surface of the barrel. In the relining of barrels as ordinarily constructed the end hoops must be removed in order to free the edges of the barrel-head from the stave-Croze, an operation which materially increases the cost of keeping the barrels in good repair and tends to shorten the life of the barrel.

In carrying out my invention I provide the barrel-head with a sealing cap or cover which will preserve the tankage and may be readily removed to allow access to the interior of the barrel, while when secured in position it will barrel-head, made in the form of'a ring and provided with an external iiange a, adapted to fit into the usual internal grooves provided near each end of the barrel-staves, as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. On the inner surface of the ring are a series of blocks b, having inclined lower surfaces b', and at a point below these blocks is an inwardly-projecting ange c, having on its upper surface an'annular bead d.

On the Harige c is placed a sealing-ring e, formed of rubber or other yielding material, and on top of the sealing-ring is a sealingdisk G, having a bead g on its under surface at a point just within the bead d, so that the ring e will be caught between the two beads and between the upper surface of the Iiange c and the lower surface of the disk G, so as form a joint. To prevent contact of the contents of the barrel with the ring e, I may provide an upwardly-projecting flange c at the inner edge of flange c, as shown in Fig. 1. To keep the sealing-disk in a central position, I provide on its periphery a number of fingers g', which extend nearly to the inner surface of the ring A, and to prevent any turning of the sealing-disk lugs h are provided on the upper surface of iange c to make contact with the opposite edges of these fingers and hold the disk in proper position.

I represents a cover-disk having an outwardly -projecting flange e', which extends over a portion of the upper surface of the ring A and forms a comparatively tight joint therewith to prevent the access of liquid to the interior of the barrel. The cover-disk I has a downwardly-projecting iiange, which fits within the ring A and is provided on its periphery with a series of f spaced wedgeblocks 7c, having inclined upper surfaces 7o', adapted to coact with the inclined lower surfaces of the blocks b and produce a wedging action, which will force the sealingdisk G tightly against the yielding ring e and so form a liquid-proof joint.

. The cover-disk I is provided at diametri@ ally opposite points with Aopenings Z, each being recessed at Z forinsertion of anysuitable operating-tool by which the cover-disk may be screwed or turned into or out of position.

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To provide for the removal of the sealing recess m, across which extends a bar m', which may be caught by a hook and readily lifted from position.

To provide for the removal of the ring A without altering theA position of the staves, said ring is made in sections, which are connected together by double dovetailed blocks M, adapted to iit between the adjacent correspondingly-shaped ends of the various sections of the ring.

v With a barrel-head constructed in accordance with my invention the yielding ring e will last for a considerable period of time owing to `the fact that the sealing-disk G is pressed upon it in a vertical direction only and there is no twisting` or screwing of the ring, such as would result if the sealing-ring were turned in-forcing it in position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In combination a barrel-head having its central portion cut away to form a ring, an inwardly-projecting iange at the lower portion of said ring, wedge-blocks having inclined lower surfaces provided in the internal face of said ring overhangingsaid flange, va sealing-disk seated on the inwardly-proj ecting flange and means to prevent rotation of said disk, a cover-disk adapted to said ring above and upon the sealing-disk and wedgeblocks provided on the inner face of said cover-disk adapted to coact with the wedgeblocks of the ring, substantially as described.

2. In combination a ring for barrel-heads having an external ange adapted to fit'in the croze of the barrel-staves, an inwardlyprojecting iiange at the lower portion of said ring, wedge-blocks provided on the internal face of the ring at or near the upper portion of the same having inclined lower wedgeshaped surfaces overhanging said inwardlyprojecting flange, a sealing-disk on the inwardly-projecting ange having a portion of its periphery cut away to pass said wedgeshaped blocks on assembling, spacing-fingers g', and a cover-disk having outwardly-extending anges, of greater diameter than the internal diameter of the ring adapted to the face of said ring, wedge-blocks provided on the lower face of said outer cover at intervals vhaving an inclined upper surface adapted to at the lower portion of said ring, wedge-blocks having inclined lower surfaces provided on the internal face of said ring overhanging said lower flange, a sealing-disk seated on said inwardly-projecting ange and spacingfingers provided upon the periphery thereof, a cover-disk provided upon said sealing-disk having at intervals near its periphery on the lower face wedge-shaped blocks having inclined upper faces adapted to coact with the wedge-blocks of said ring and means for adj usting said disks, substantially as described.

4. In combination a barrel-head having a ring, A, outwardly-extending flange, a, inwardly-extending flange, c, encircling bead, d, upon the face of the flange, c, sealing-ring, e, a sealing-disk, G, having spacing-fingers, g', wedge-blocks, b, provided in said ring, A, having inclined lower surfaces, cover-disk, I, having external lian ge, c', adapted to the outer face of the ring, A, inner wedges, b,'provided at intervals upon the periphery of the inner portion of the disk, I, said wedges having upper inclined faces adapted to the upper inclined wedges, b, and means for adjusting said disks, substantiallyas described.

5. In combination, a barrel-head having its central portion cut away to form a ring A adapted to a seat within the stave-croze, an inwardly-projecting flange c, at the lower portion of said ring, wedge-blocks b having inclined lower surfaces provided on the internal face of said ring, a sealing-disk G, having peripheral spacing-iingers g', adapted to form a sealing-joint with iiange c, a coverdisk I, provided on a periphery with wedgeblocks lo, and having an outwardly-projecting flange 11, adapted to iit over a portion of the upper surface of the ring A, the upper surface of the cover-disk being provided with diametrically opposite recessed .openings l, substantially as specified.

6. In combination, a barrel-head made in the form of a sectional ring, the adjacent edges of each section being dovetailed or recessed for the reception of a correspondinglyshaped iilling-block whereby on the removal kof said block or blocks the sections of the ring may be removed from position, and a cap or cover adapted to a seat in said ring, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I `have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of August, A. D. 1897.

JAMES D. COPPERFIELD.

Witnesses:

ELIAS H. WHITE, JNO. E. PARKER, FREDERICK C. RIGHTER.

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